Toy railroad tracks and current connectors



Nov. 22, 1955 F. PETTIT TOY RAILROAD TRACKS AND CURRENT CONNECTORS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 26, 1951 9/ INVENTOR.

Fan k Parr/r A TTORNE Y.

Nov. 22, 1955 F. PETTIT 2,724,557

TOY RAILROAD TRACKS AND CURRENT CONNECTORS Filed March 26, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY.

TOY RAILROAD TRACKS AND CURRENT CONNECTORS Frank Pettit, Union, N. 1., assignor to The Lionel Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 26, 1951, Serial No. 217,587 14 Claims. (Cl. 238-40) The present invention relates to toy railroad tracks and current connectors, and is more particularly directed toward toy railroad tracks employing two or more rails supported on an insulating base, such as cross ties and connectors for connecting such rails to extraneous circuits.

The present invention contemplates toy railroad trackage having the usual spaced wheel bearing rails and an interposed power rail which is less conspicuous than the ;along with black metal rails and black plastic insulating bases to support all the rails the nature of the track as a third rail is less apparent.

Where the insulating base is a single piece of molded rail in place may be molded integral with the remainder of the insulating base and the power rail slid longitudinally into place and held there.

In the. preferred construction, however, the inverted V-shaped, sheet metal power rail is secured to the insulating base by prongs which pass through the base, and one of these is utilized as ,acontact member for conducting current to the power rail. An improved current connector is provided whereby the power rail and the track rails may be connected to a power supply circuit, a signal circuit or other control circuit.

The accompanying drawings show, for purposes of illustrating the present invention, two embodiments of track in which the invention may take form, and one form of current connector, it being understood that the drawings are illustrative of the invention rather than limiting the same.

In these drawingsz 1 Figure 1 is a top plan view of a preferred form of toy "track section bearing the :slidable third rail and showing the third rail partly removed;

Figure '2 is an inverted plan view of the track :section of Figure 1 at an enlarged scale;

Figure 3 is an end view of the track section of Figures '1 and 2; n 1

Figures 4 and 5 are sectional views on the line 44 and 55, respectively, of Figure '2;

Figures 6 and 7 are fragmentary longitudinal sectional views on the lines 6-6 and '7-7, respectively, of Figure '5;

Figure 8 *is a perspective view of a modified form of 'V-shaped power rail as seen from below;

Figure 9 is an inverted plan of a track section with parts broken away, and showing a current connector tadjacentethe tracksection;

insulating material the elements for holding the power 2,724,557 atented Nov. 2. 19.

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2 Figure 10 is a transverse section in line 1010 of Figure 9, showing the fastening of the V-shaped rail to the plastic base;

Figures 11 and 12 are transverse and longitudinal sectional views on the lines 11-11 and 12-12, respectively, of Figure 9, at a large scale and showing the current connector in its inverted position;

Figure 13 is a fragmentary elevational view ,in the direction of the arrow 13, Figure 11; and

Figure 14 is an exploded perspective view of the current connector.

The construction shown in Figures 1-7 of the drawings contemplates the employment of a unitary molded insulating base extending the entire length of a track section. This base carries two wheel bearing rails 71 and 72 which are secured in place by metal rail fasteners 73 such as claimed in application of Joseph L. Bonanno, Serial No. 607,176, filed July 26, 1945, since abandoned in favor of application Ser. No. 217,582, filed March 26, 1951 and now Patent No. 2,673,689.

The insulating base 70 has two longitudinally extending elements 74 and 75 whose outer walls are spaced substantially the same as the outer flanges of the rails 71 and 72. The upper faces of these longitudinal elements have slightly raised portions 76 which receive the rails 71 and 72. The longitudinal elements carry outwardly exetnding tie simulating elements 77 and are stepped adjacent the inner flanges of the rails, as indicated at 78 to provide longitudinally extending, upward ly facing surfaces 79.

The insulating base is provided with pairs of overhanging elements 80 which are at a slightly higher level than the surfaces 79 forming grooves. These overhanging elements are inherently resilient and are spaced at just the right height so as to form longitudinal guideways for an inverted V-shaped rail element 81 adapted to form the power rail. This rail element is of the same length as the insulating base and when slid into position may look like a part of the base, even though it is made of metal. In order to save material in making the base it is cored out from underneath, as will be apparent,

from the inverted plan view in Figure 2. It also has transverse elements 82 which connect elements 74 and 75 and form supports for the track, and connecting webs 83.

When these track sections are to be used with one of the forms of track connector shown in my Patent No. 2,479,022 granted August 16, 1949, the track section and connector fit together as indicated in Figures2, 6 and 7.

The transverse elements 82 at the ends of the section are provided with downwardly opening pockets which receive lugs 91 .on the track connectors 92. Each connector carries a contact strip 93 bent upwardly, as indicated at 94, and passing through holes such as 95 in the base of the track section and engaging the "power rail :81. Each connector also carries two contact strips spaced the same as the wheel bearing rails. One such strip is shown at 96, Figure 6. It has spring ends 97 engaging the rail fasteners 73, so that adjacent rails may be connected electrically. The spring ends 97 enter recesses 98 above the center of the rail fasteners 73.

In the modified form of construction, illustrated in Figures 8-14 inclusive, the shallow sheet metal Vshaped rail is made somewhat differently. Here the rail 100 of shallow V-shaped cross-section has continuous vertical reenforcing flanges 101, each of which carries at its ends relatively narrow prongs 102 and near the center, longer, wider prongs 102'. It is slitted and offset, as indicated at 103, for power rail connectors 103a formed offibent spring wire and having stops 10312. A molded plastic :base 104 has a central rib 105, tie-simulating portions 105' and elevated "portions 106, carrying "the wheel beari application Serial No. 607,135, filed iuly 26,

3 ing rails 107 with projecting rail connecting pins 107a. Rail connectors 103a and 107a cooperate with rails of adjacent sections to electrically connect them.

The rails 107 are held in place by fasteners 108 in the form of relatively wide, shallow sheet metal stampings having portions 109 extending up through openings in the base 104 and secured onto the rail flanges, as indi- "cated at 110. This form of track rail fastener is described'and claimed in Joseph L. Bonanno Patent No.

Adjacent each of the wheel bearing rails 107, the base 104 has a longitudinally extending groove 111 adapted Near the center, the base 104 is provided with holes 113,

located between the ties where the central rail fastener member 108 is used.

The prongs 102 may pass down through the holes 113 and are bent over, as indicated at 115. They are spaced above the fastener 108. The bending over of the prongs .102 and 102' will securely hold the sheet metal rail in place on the track base, and the sheet metal rail will then cover all the space between the elevations 106, which carry the track rails so that the third or power rail appears to be a part of the road-bed. It may have a hammered surface to simulate ballast.

In addition to holding down the center of the power rail, the prongs 102, when bent over, as indicated at 115, are also utilized for making current connections with the power rail. To give access to the contact member 115, the base is provided with side openings 117.

The periphery 118 of the insulating base is flat so that the base rests evenly on a table or other support, the base is recessed, as indicated generally at 119, to reduce weight and accommodate the rail fasteners 108 and 115.

' The current connector is shown generally at 120. The

details of the current connector appear more clearly at Figure 14. It employs a lower contact blade 121 and an upper contact blade 122, separated by an insulator 123. The two blades and the intervening insulator are secured between the two insulating plates 124 and 125 by rivets 126, which also secure wiring clips 127 in place.

The connector, when assembled, as shown in Figures 9, 11 and 12, can be employed with the track section.

The contact blades 121 and 122 and the insulator 123 are thin enough to pass through opening 117 and long enough so'that the inner end 122a of the upper contact will bear against the under surface of the bent-over prong or a contact 115. The lower contact 121 has a bump 121a adapted to enter a hole 108a in the fastener 108. The

bottom of the connector is even with the bottom 118 of the base.

The insulators 124 and 125 are provided with central projections 128, which are adapted to enter between the tie-simulating members 105' of the base. When the connector is in place, one of the terminals is connected to the wheel bearing rails and the other to the power rail, so thatthe current may be supplied to the track circuit or current may be taken from the track circuit for operating signals and the like. i

The present application is a continuation in part of my 1945, since abandoned in favor of the present application.

Since it is obvious that the invention may be embodied in other forms and constructions within the scope of the claims, I wish it to be understood that the particular forms shown are but two of these forms, and various modifications and changes being possible, I do not otherwise limit myself in any way with respect thereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A toy railroad track section comprising an insulating base, two conducting wheel bearing rails secured to the base, and a power rail secured to the base, the power rail being in the form of a length of sheet metal of shallow inverted V-shaped section, the top of the inverted V being midway between the wheel bearing rails, the side edges of the power rail being closely adjacent to and insulated from the wheel bearing rails, so as to cover the base between the wheel bearing rails to thereby simulate the appearance of usual two-rail railroad trackage.

2. A toy railroad track section, such as claimed in claim 1, wherein the insulating base has a longitudinal groove in the upper face between the Wheel-bearing rails, the groove being partially interrupted by overlying elements spaced along the sides of the groove, and the power rail is slidable lengthwise of the groove and having its edges passing under the overlying elements so that the latter hold the power rail in place.

3. A toy railroad track section, such as claimed in claim 1, wherein the insulating base has a vertical rib engaging the apex of the V-shaped rail.

4; A toy railroad track section, such as claimed in claim 1, wherein the edges of the V-shaped rail are downwardly flanged and the insulating base has longitudinal grooves to receive the flanges.

5. A toy railroad track section, such as claimed in claim 1, wherein the edges of the V-shaped rail have downwardly extending prongs extended through the base and folded back against the bottom of the base.

6. In toy railroad trackage, having a track section, including an insulating base, a transversely extending U-shaped metal member having its bottom spaced below the base and side elements, extending up through the base, and spaced wheel bearing rails, at least one of which secured to the top of the base by the side elements, the combination therewith of a power rail of shallow, inverted, V-shaped cross-section having a securing prong passed through a hole in the base and bent against the bottom of the base above the bottom of the U-shaped metal member to thereby provide vertically spaced conductors, one connected to the power rail and the other to the said wheel bearing rail.

7. The combination of claim 6, including a plug member having two conductors, one above the other and insulated from one another and insertable into the space between the first-mentioned conductors.

8. A toy railroad track section comprising an insulating base, two conducting wheel bearing rails carried on the base, a rail fastening device of U-shaped crosssection having its bottom portion spaced below the base and its upper portions secured to one of the wheel bearing rails, a power rail having a fastening prong extending through the base and bent against the under-surface of the base directly above the rail-fastening device, and a current connector in the form of a plug insertible into the space between the rail fastener and prong and having two conductors insulated from one another, one engageable with the prong, the other with the rail fastener.

9. A track section such as claimed in claim 8, wherein the base has laterally extending tie-simulating elements aligned with the upper portions of the rail fastener and the plug has laterally disposed, cut-back portions engageable with the tie-simulating elements.

10. A toy railroad track section comprising an insulating base adapted to rest on a flat support and having a downwardly opening recess with its top wall spaced above the bottom of the base and side walls with lateral openings, a power rail on top of the base, power rail securing means, including a conducting member bearing against the top of the recess, wheel bearing rails, and means for securing the latter rails to the base, including a transversely extending, U-shaped sheet metal fastener between the side openings, the member being housed in the recess and having its bottom below the first conducting member, to thereby form two opposed spaced conductors available for plugging connection through said side openings to an extraneous circuit.

11. In combination a toy railroad track section comprising an insulating base adapted to rest on a flat support and having a downwardly opening recess with its top wall spaced above the bottom of the base and side walls with lateral openings, a power rail on top of the base, power rail securing means, including a conducting member bearing against the top of the recess, wheel bearing rails, and means for securing thelatter rails to the base, including a transversely extending, U-shaped sheet metal fastener between the side openings, the member being housed in the recess and having its bottom below the first conducting member, to thereby form two opposed spaced conductors available for plugging connection through said side openings to an extraneous circuit,

and a plug having two conductors, insulated from one another and insertable through one of the openings to bring its conductors into engagement with the two spaced conductors, the bottom of the plug being at the same level as the bottom of the base.

12. The combination of claim 11, wherein the plug has on its upper surface two wire connectors connected to its respective plug conductors.

13. In toy railroad trackage, a sectionalized power rail in the form of shallow inverted V-shaped sheet metal sections, end to end, each section having near its ends downwardly oifset slitted portions, and spring wire clips received in the slitted, ofiset portions of two adjacent sections for electrically connecting them to another.

14. In toy railroad trackage, two shallow inverted V-shaped power rails end to end, each rail having a downwardly offset slitted portion aligned with a similar portion of the other rail, and a rail connector in the form of an elongated spring wire loop, one side of which is open, the ends of the loop being received in the offset portions of the rails, the loop having outwardly bent stops at its ends, which limit the extent the loop end may enter the opening formed by the slitted offset portion of the rail.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 762,768 Steinberger June 14, 1904 1,452,370 Ferguson t. Apr. 17, 1923 1,610,033 Becker Dec. 7, 1926 2,143,195 Kahn et al Jan. 10, 1939 2,232,511 Caruso Feb. 18, 1941 2,265,965 Frisbie Dec. 9, 1941 2,479,022 Pettit Aug. 16, 1949 

